BAE Systems Celebrates Production of Millionth Combat Helmet

30 Apr 20132013-04-30T02:00:00+02:00

A ceremony to commemorate the milestone was held today at BAE Systems’ facility in Jessup, Pennsylvania, where the helmets are manufactured.

BAE Systems has now produced more than one million combat helmets for the U.S. Department of Defense. Since the 1980s, the company has produced a variety of helmet designs for the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps, the Defense Logistics Agency and several allied forces.

“The accomplishment we celebrate today demonstrates a rich history and exemplifies a strong commitment and dedication by our employees to support the men and women of our military,” said Don Dutton, vice president and general manager of Protection Systems at BAE Systems. “Every day, our employees take pride in providing a high-quality product with an aim to bring each and every warfighter home safely to their loved ones.”

Attending today’s celebration were U.S. Representative Matthew Cartwright; Major General Wesley Craig, The Adjutant General for the Pennsylvania National Guard; Lieutenant Colonel Frank Lozano of the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Soldier; and Jessup Mayor Beverly Merkel.

“Congratulations to the BAE Systems employees in Jessup who have reached this outstanding achievement,” said Congressman Cartwright. “These employees are making our region proud through exceptional expertise and workmanship. More importantly, they’re helping protect our warfighters with lightweight, life-saving equipment. The work that they do is creating excellent paying jobs locally here in Jessup and is also strengthening our nation’s security.”

BAE Systems’ legacy businesses started producing combat helmets back in the early 1980s. The company received its first defense contract for M-1 Helmet Liners and has since supported a variety of helmets, including the U.S. Army’s Advanced Combat Helmet, the Combat Vehicle Crewman Helmet and the U.S. Marine Corps Lightweight Helmet. Throughout the years, BAE Systems expanded its capabilities to manufacture helmets for a variety of threats, while meeting the challenge of minimizing weight and maintaining ballistic integrity.

BAE Systems is a leading provider of military protective and load carrying equipment in the United States, producing a significant portion of the nation’s body armor, tactical vests, combat helmets and load carrying systems. The company is focused on the design, development and production of leading edge survivability products. BAE Systems also has more than 35 years of experience in producing Helmet Mounted Displays for both fixed- and rotary-wing pilots. The company provides a range of capability offerings in this area, from simple head-up, eyes-out monocular displays to head-coupled, high-resolution visor-projected helmets.